In electronic cash registers or other data terminal devices which are employed in merchandising checkout operations, the release of the cash drawer from a closed position to allow for the disbursement of change is conditioned on the operation of certain control keys on the keyboard of the terminal device. Before the checkout operation can continue, the terminal device must be notified that the cash drawer has been returned to its closed position. Prior latching mechanisms which generate a signal upon the latching of the cash drawer in a closed position have utilized complicated structural arrangements to actuate a switch only after the cash drawer has been latched in a closed position. One example of such a latching mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,432 assigned to the assignee of the present application. While this type of latching mechanism operates satisfactorily, it has been found that the latch member requires precise adjustments with respect to the drawer catch to function properly, which adjustments are hard to hold due to the camming movement of the latch member by the drawer catch prior to the latching of the drawer catch. This condition has resulted in a high failure rate of the operation of the latch mechanism. It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a latch mechanism in which the latching mechanism is actuated by the initial contact of the drawer with the latching mechanism upon movement to a closed position. It is another object of this invention to provide a latching mechanism which is moved into a positive latching engagement with the drawer upon the engagement of the latching mechanism by the drawer. It is a further object of this invention to provide a latching mechanism which is of simple construction, low in cost and which requires no adjustment for its satisfactory operation. It is another object of this invention to provide a latch mechanism constructed to be released from the keyboard of the terminal device. It is still a further object of this invention to provide a latching mechanism which will generate a signal indicating the position of the cash drawer.